I love writing about topics that spark my curiosity, which dovetails nicely with what I am covering here: Millennial workplace trends, corporate renegades, and pop culture. I grew up in Oregon, and currently live in New York City. I love all things business and admire the entrepreneurs who are able to transform their dreams into profit.

Millennial Dads: Why Must We Make Sacrifices For Our Kids?

Father’s Day is a 24-hour window of opportunity when men are officially allowed to be selfish, self-centered, and egocentric. But come Monday, fathers are expected to regress back into their lives of responsibility and lower place on the family chain of command.

Millennial dads, however, aren’t amenable to this arrangement. They want it reversed, or more accurately, they want the world to revolve around them at all times. “It’s assumed that once you become a parent, your worldview changes. You have family obligations and put others before you. Millennials still act as if they are kids,” says Denise Delahorne of the ad agency DDB Chicago. “There’s this huge dichotomy between the Boomer generation that represent the ‘we’ generation and Millennials which represent the ‘me’ generation. [These younger dads] haven’t necessarily matured now that they have children.”

Even though reality TV seems to be the root cause for all of our declining values, this genre is, once again, blamed for turning fathers into selfish ego-monsters. Three decades ago, Keeping Up With The Kardashian’s Scott Disick’s me-first behavior would have gotten him ostracized and dumped by his girlfriend Kourtney. But now, Disick’s arrogant antics are celebrated by his peers and Kourtney is expecting another child with him.

It’s incomprehensible for Millennial dads, illuminated by Disick, to even think they would be expected to make personal sacrifices for the sake of their families. They expect to be the center of attention at all times, even if it means shifting the spotlight away from their children. They don’t let children impede on their lifestyles or partying schedules. And they would never trade in their two-seater sports car for a minivan. The word compromise isn’t in their vocabulary.

In fact, Millennial dads are doing their families a favor by sticking around. Two in 10 Millennial dads feel parenthood is a burden and 36% admit they would lose their minds if they had to stay home with their kids every day.

These Millennial dads believe their lives are just as fascinating to others as they are to them. Younger dads are three times more likely than older dads to feel they deserve to be famous (30% vs. 13%) and even would allow TV cameras to follow them around 24/7 if it means they would be on a TV show (29% vs. 12%). Younger dads also are more likely than Boomer dads to think they are special and deserve to be treated that way (38% vs. 27%), says DDB Chicago. This feeling of entitlement even increases on their birthdays. Millennial dads are twice more likely as Boomer dads to say they expect to be treated like kings on their birthday (46% vs. 23%).

There may be a thin line between arrogance and insecurity. Half of Millennial dads believe people are always judging their parenting skills and the majority of Millennial men say they feel they are under a great deal of pressure “most of the time,” says Delahorne. “Millennial Dads have not entirely embraced their roles as the ‘adult in charge,’ and are struggling a bit because they don’t want to lose themselves amidst their parenting responsibilities.”

Despite their immaturity, fathers cherish their children. More than 80% of Millennial and Boomer dads agree that raising children brings them a lot of happiness and 75% look for ways to create long-lasting memories with them.

And the iconic tie as the go-to Father’s Day gift is still applicable, albeit for different reasons. “You traditionally bought a tie because it was generic, functional and you didn’t know what else to get him. But Millennial dads are interested in the latest clothes and fashion. They think a tie is a great gift and is one that they actually want,” says Delahorne.

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